I have for years had the habit, when dealing with a waiter or the person behind the cash register, or others of that sort of service personnel, of making a small pleasantry or joke, some of which are standards for me, which my Beautiful Wife has heard me use for eons.

An example for instance:
Waiter: "Have a nice day (evening, weekend, or whatever)."
Me:      "I'll try to do that if you will!"
Waiter: "I'll do that" or some such, accepting my "if you will".
Me:      "We got a deal!"
   Chuckles and pleasant smiles all around.

Or this:
I get on an elevator, and another passenger says, "Would you punch 3, please?" And I punch the button for third floor, and I add:
"Now I'm technologically qualified for an up-and-coming career as an elevator operator!"
Or maybe (s)he is the one who is requested and does push the button, and I offer congratulations and assure him/her that now (s)he is technologically etc.
   Again, smiles or chuckles and general good feeling.
   I probably will add, after a slight pause, "But that's an awfully thin job market these days!"
   Renewed smiles, and everybody goes away feeling good.

My Beautiful Wife will probably scold me for carrying on this or some other little pleasantry with "the man behind the counter" or "a perfect stranger". It's not only that she's heard me say these and equivalent things so many times she's heartily tired of them (which I guess I can understand), but more importantly, it's not dignified enough for HER husband! (And by association, for her.)

My wife is a born-and-raised Hoosier, which she has been trying to shake ever since college, whereas I emigrated to Indiana fifty years ago from Minnesota, and I guess I'm afflicted with "Minnesota Nice". I'm a congenital nice-maker.

Dave Oesterreich